McConnell, 72, looked relaxed and came across as well versed on agricultural issues — dropping a lot of Washington-type jargon and referring to specific provisions in bills to showcase his experience.

Grimes, 35, sounded rehearsed, her answers hewing closely to talking points. The first-term secretary of State mispronounced the legislative word “omnibus” and overly gestured with her hands, a distracting nervous tic.

McConnell stayed seated at a conference table as he fielded questions and Grimes answered from behind a podium.

The senator, who has opened a slight lead in recent public polls, mentioned Democratic counterpart Harry Reid in nearly every answer as he tried repeatedly to nationalize the contest.

“Her first vote will make Harry Reid majority leader of the Senate one more time,” McConnell told the Farm Bureau board of directors. “He’s opposed to everything you stand for. … The notion that she’s somehow going to be a breath of fresh air in Washington is simply implausible.”

“The change agent in this race is me,” he added. “I would be the leader of a new majority to begin to take America in a different direction.”

Grimes argued that McConnell is ineffective — highlighting the rising debt, growing government and regulations that went into effect on his watch.

“Thirty years is long enough,” she said. “Kentucky is ready for a senator who can reach out across the aisle.”

McConnell countered, joking about spending New Year’s Eve 2012 not with his wife, but Joe Biden, to avert the fiscal cliff.

“The only deals that have been made on a bipartisan basis during the Obama years, I’ve brokered,” he said. “Every one of them!”

The nonpartisan Farm Bureau does not endorse but has sponsored these sorts of forums going back to the 1940s.

Grimes said she is not beholden to Barack Obama, despite the millions in commercials that present her as a would-be rubber stamp. She said national Democrats will find “no stronger opponent” than her when they attacks farmers or coal miners.

McConnell said that voters should look at who is supporting her and mentioned Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s trip to the state on her behalf, as well as the backing of the AFL-CIO labor union, to say that she will not actually support free-trade agreements when they come up for a vote.

Grimes responded with umbrage, suggesting that this was a gendered criticism.

“Women aren’t supposed to just be seen. We will be heard,” she said. “I’m a strong independent Kentucky woman who will always put our farm families first.”

On immigration: Grimes said she would have backed the bill that passed the Senate last year, and McConnell advocated for breaking immigration up into a series of piecemeal bills.

“Had Mitch not stood in the way of comprehensive immigration reform … we might not see the crisis we see at the border today,” Grimes said. “He said ‘no’ to making sure we could have an earned pathway to citizenship — which is what I believe in.”

The senator touted his wife Elaine Chao’s work to push regulations allowing for temporary workers while she was secretary of Labor.

“This country has been built on legal immigration,” he said. “We need a worker program that actually works.”

On Obamacare: Grimes said McConnell’s support for repealing the law would “take us back to the days where you could be discriminated against just for being a woman.”

“The law isn’t perfect, but we have to work to fix it,” she said.

McConnell fired back: “She won’t use the words, but she supports Obamacare — the single worst piece of legislation that’s been passed in the last half century.”

He touted his support for tort reform and noted that trial lawyers have poured money into Grimes’ coffers.

On the farm bill: Grimes attacked McConnell for allowing the farm bill to lapse, for not attending Agriculture Committee hearings and for not actually sitting on the conference committee that passed the final bill.

“I’ll be on the Agriculture Committee in more than just name only,” she said. “I’ll work to make sure the farm bill doesn’t lapse.”

McConnell cited his responsibilities as party leader for missing committee hearings and touted his work in passing the farm bill that eventually became law — zinging Grimes over what he alleged is her discounted tour bus in the process.

“It’s probably not as good a deal as a $400 dollar [a day] tour bus, but it’s a pretty good deal,” he said, explaining that the move away from direct payments toward crop insurance will ultimately help the Bluegrass State.

McConnell also touted earmarks: In his previous campaigns, the Republican bragged about bringing home the bacon. Facing a tea party challenge this year, McConnell has been exceedingly careful when talking about pork. He did not use the word “earmark,” but he spoke about procuring funding for lots of programs and initiatives in Kentucky.

He also talked up his role in pushing a tobacco buyout for farmers and for getting House Republicans to support a program that allows hemp experimentation.

“Now the plants are in the ground,” he said. “We may have a new agricultural commodity for the future.”

But Grimes questioned McConnell’s effectiveness in the future.

“What he won’t tell you is that the era of earmarks is over,” she said.